desprezas

Desprezas is the second-person singular present indicative form of the Portuguese verb desprezar, meaning to regard with contempt or to disregard. It is used in contexts where the subject expresses disdain or dismissal toward a person, idea, or object. As a regular -ar verb, desprezar forms its present tense as eu desprezo, tu desprezas, ele/ela despreza, nós desprezamos, vós desprezais, eles/elas desprezam. The form desprezas appears mainly in communities and writings that preserve the informal second-person singular “tu” conjugation, and may be less common in varieties that favor the “você” form.

Usage and meaning: Desprezar is transitive and can take a direct object, as in desprezar alguém (to despise someone) or desprezar algo (to disregard something). The sense ranges from mild contempt to explicit scorn, depending on context and intonation. The noun related to this verb is desprezo, which denotes contempt or disdain.

Etymology and related forms: Desprezas derives from the prefix des- (indicating reversal or negation) combined with prezar or prezar-related roots meaning to prize or esteem. The verb’s semantic core is the negation of value or importance attributed to something. Related verbs include desprezar (to despise), desconsiderar (to disregard), and menosprezar (to slight or undervalue).

Regional variation: In Brazilian Portuguese, the informal second-person singular is commonly expressed with você (despreza) rather than tu desprezas, making the exact form less frequent in daily speech. In European Portuguese and some dialects that maintain the tu form, desprezas remains standard.

See also: desprezo, despreciar, menosprezar, desconsiderar.